Filipino Muslims gather for grand iftar in UAE

Community ends fast by sharing a meal with less fortunate compatriots as well as Philippine diplomatic officials

Dubai: The spirit of giving came alive among Muslim Filipinos as they shared an iftar meal with distressed Filipino workers ahead of Eid Al Fitr.

Around 500 members of the Filipino community gathered for a grand iftar at the Philippine Overseas Labour Office (Polo) on Friday evening.

"This is a time to share our blessings with the less fortunate, to visit them, and to bond with them," said Wafa Kasimieh, Senior Adviser of the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD).

The IACAD together with various Filipino community organisations sponsored the event.

 

"It is symbolic that everybody sits down to share a meal," Consul-General Benito Valeriano said.

Memorable

Labour Attache Amilbahar Amilasan said: "There are many who can't even afford to end their fast. It is nice to give something memorable to them."

Hamida, 35, a former domestic helper in Sharjah who is one of around 20 distressed workers awaiting repatriation, said the event made her feel nostalgic.

"At this time in the Philippines, our families gather for a grand iftar days before Eid," she said. "It felt like we were back home even just for a few hours."

Meanwhile, 11 distressed Filipino workers were repatriated yesterday through the help of the Philippine government as well as charitable and community organisations.

To date, a total of 49 Filipinos, including four children, are under the care of of the Filipino Workers Resource Centre (FWRC), a halfway house for distressed Filipinos which operates in various countries, including the UAE.

The FWRC is under the supervision of the Polo in cooperation with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa), an agency under the Philippine Department of Labour and Employment.

Among those who regularly help to repatriate needy Filipino migrant workers is D.G.

She said helping her compatriots has become her lifelong pledge since converting to Islam in 2009.

"We are taught to give to our family first. Here in the UAE, the closest family we have is the Filipino community.

"So we really need to help them. Giving is also a form of worshipping Allah," D. G. said.

Source: Gulf News